I have written or edited about the auto industry on and off (mostly on) since 1985, first at The Indianapolis Star and, for more than a dozen years, at Bloomberg News in Detroit. I've chronicled how some auto-factory towns dried up as the industry restructured; how other rural areas benefited from investment in U.S. factories by international automakers; been inside plants; saw how automakers used racing as a marketing tool and (in some cases) for developing engineering talent. I've been everywhere from the factory floor to (on one occasion) driving a race car on the same track as an executive.

GM Recalls Another 8.4 Million Vehicles

General MotorsGeneral Motors said Monday it’s recalling 8.4 million more vehicles in North America, the vast majority due to ignition switch defects, and disclosed additional fatalities. The automaker also dramatically increased its estimate of the cost of its recent wave of recalls, forecasting a second-quarter charge of $1.2 billion, up from $700 million.

GM said the models in the newest recall were connected to three deaths, eight injuries and three crashes. The automaker previously reported it knew of 13 deaths related to crashes involving recalled vehicles.

The three deaths “occurred in older model full-size sedans being recalled for inadvertent ignition key rotation,” according to a GM statement on its website. “‘There is no conclusive evidence that the defect condition caused those crashes.”

The recall crisis, primarily involving faulty ignition switches, has dominated Barra’s tenure as CEO. She took command of the largest U.S.-based automaker in January, shortly before GM disclosed the problem. The problem had surfaced years before but a recall didn’t occur until 2014. Barra has testified before Congress concerning the recalls.

“So far these recalls haven’t impacted current sales and have had minimal impact on consumer perception, but we’re hitting unprecedented numbers and it’s reasonable for people to start asking, “When and where will it end?” Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said in an email. “It’s clear Mary Barra has decided this is going to be the defining factor in her tenure as CEO…Hopefully, in the long run, it’s seen as a positive evolution for the company, though in the short-term it reflects a stark inability to identify safety flaws in a timely manner.”

In GM’s statement, Barra said: “We have worked aggressively to identify and address the major outstanding issues that could impact the safety of our customers,” CEO Mary Barra said in the statement. “If any other issues come to our attention, we will act appropriately and without hesitation.”

The number of recalled GM vehicles is approaching 30 million worldwide. On June 27, GM disclosed the recall of more than 400,000 vehicles, mostly four-wheel drive large pickups. GM’s Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are one of its biggest sources of profit.

Earlier Monday, GM provided examples of what it was willing to pay victims of car crashes stemming from faulty ignition switches. Such examples included $2.2 million for a 17-year-old student who died.

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How come no executives are being fired? This should be a HUGE embarrassment to ALL executives running GM and you DON’T reward failure with year-end bonuses. You let go those who didn’t do their jobs.

This also does not set any example for those who just work at GM. It shows them that you can do a bad job and STILL work at GM collecting a check and benefits. “Why should I work hard? Look at my bosses.”

Everyone (taxpayers) should be outraged because everyone bailed out GM in their dire time of need. Instead of coming back strong and dedicated to put out a quality product, they have come back worse. A prime example of a company with no real leadership and a clueless quality control oversight.

Every BIG school/university associated with all the degrees associated with the top executives (MBAs, grad. Engineering Degrees, etc.) should also re-think what they are teaching because the application of their “programs” in the inter-workings of GM is abysmal.

Anyone who buys GM – be it their stock or one of their vehicles is rewarding failure and mismanagement. Get some new leadership in there instead of bringing up another “30-year wonder” from the bureaucracy of inept “managers” within their stable of mediocrity.

Let’s start being politically accurate and call GM what it is – a colossal failure of a company that used to be the benchmark or at least the model for other companies to emulate.